In this episode of Thought Leader Life, Michael and I share views with #ThoughtLeader Peter Sterlacci, all the way from Kyoto, Japan. Peter’s mission is to pioneer personal branding in Japan and he sees his work to be “a lot of fun with lots of challenges.” Even though he can speak Japanese (though not fluently), he is more inclined to work with non-traditional businesses and people who have a global perspective and see the English language as a tool to be successful. He defines #ThoughtLeaders as experts in their field who significantly make a difference by giving something of value that people can actually use in their business or personal lives. Peter says a #ThoughtLeader who wants to develop their personal brand must know what differentiates them from everybody else who has done something similar or has a similar skill set. And then you must be able to communicate that in a clear, consistent, and constant manner, particularly online.

Going deeper into the issue of personal branding vis-à-vis the company brand, Peter explains that in today’s world, companies have realized that allowing and enabling employees to bring in their personal brand and incorporate their authenticity into the company brand really works, and it builds business. This is the new norm as opposed to the traditional view that companies must disable their employee’s personal brand in order to protect the company brand. One effective way to bring out personal brand to help the company is by joining groups on LinkedIn, which has become the top resource for building anyone’s personal brand. Commenting on the Thought Leadership Funnel, Peter notes the importance of engagement and why it is critical in #ThoughtLeadership, given that it’s where people become truly, actively involved. He mentions one challenge in going through the engagement part, and that is how to sift through the people who are trying to engage with you to find those who are really providing value and addressing your needs.

In the interview, Peter reveals his two unique mentors who helped him trail-blaze in the field of personal branding in Japan. He also shares valuable tips on how to develop your personal brand and bring it out to the world.

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Here are some “‘aha’ moments” from the episode. See more in the Aha Moments from Thought Leader Life books available in the Aha Amplifier and watch the interview below!

As a #ThoughtLeader, you need to have a personal brand. @happyabout

Companies are now realizing that their biggest commodity is the people who work there, and they want to retain them. @petersterlacci

When you speak of a brand, just try to be something to some people, not everything to everyone. @petersterlacci

A product, a service, or a person has some value to promise the world, and that’s what builds the brand. @petersterlacci

Follow Peter on Twitter at @petersterlacci. Tune into Thought Leader Life every Saturday for more thought-leader goodness!